Lidia - Chapter III - Timeless Clouds

Lidia - Chapter III

 

 

"Timeless Clouds"

 

 

Lidia: Sure has been a while since I’ve had a chance to get out and do something fun.

*Lidia looks up and gazes out at the scenery.*

*Deep breath*

Lidia: Ah, fresh air on this world. Smells of dusty rain. What beautiful clouds today! Think this’ll be a great place to explore a bit. Don’t you think Somonul?

Somonul: Yeah, we sure picked a nice day.

 

 

*Lidia began to trek through the scenery off into the wilderness.*

Lidia: Quiet a number a flora fauna in this area. Wonder if we’ll run into any snapdragons?

Somonul: Hah-ha!

*Lidia smiles warmly.*

 

 

*Lidia gazes off into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. As a soft breeze flows across her she looks over at Somonul.*

Lidia: You know, this area, and this weather reminds of me of a planet I once had the opportunity to visit. I believe it was in the Naruinth System. Back when the war with the Imperium was raging. Quite a ways before even your time. Hah.

*Wind rustled bushes*

Lidia: Lots of highlands and seas. I don’t remember too many mountains though.

Somonul: Reminiscing there, Lidia? Starting to get old, are we? *sarcastic grin*

Lidia: Watch it, you. You’re one to talk.

*laughs*

 

 

*Wind begins to grow stronger*

Lidia: There’s an out cropping over there off in the distance! Let’s head over there.

 

 

Lidia: This looks like a good spot for a snack. Time to crack open that massive pack of yours!

Hope you remembered to bring that good elk jerky.

Somonul: Yeah, I got it right here.

Lidia: Excellent! That garlic spiced flavor sure is good. We got some bread, few apples, more bread… some water, ohh green tea, too. Lots of stuff.

Somonul: Yeah, this new pack sure is great.

Lidia: Let me guess, bigger on the inside, right?

*Laughs*

Lidia: Let’s eat…

*Suddenly Lidia senses something amidst.*

 

 

Lidia: …what is that?

Somonul: …what?

*A billowing cloud appears off in the distance, suddenly a loud deafening thunderous clap rips through the air.

Flashes of bluish light dance on the horizon and grayish smoke begins to rise from where the flashes were seen.*

 

 

Somonul: That… sounded like a trans-dimensional gateway.

*Somonul pauses for a moment.*

Somonul: I can feel the static charge from here.

 

 

Lidia: …it can’t be.

Somonul: Lidia?

Lidia: …

Somonul: You okay there? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

Lidia: I’m fine.

 

 

Somonul: We going to take a look?

Lidia: Yeah, this could get interesting.

Somonul: Doesn’t it always?

*Smoke can be seen far off in the distance, seeming to fade with time.*

 

 

Lidia: Let’s go. It’s definitely not far from here.

*Lidia began to run off toward the direction of the fading plume.*

 

 

*Running through the fields and leaping over outcroppings of rock, Lidia was in full pursuit. No obstacle appeared to get in her way. Almost driven to obsession, the anomaly seemed to beckon at Lidia.*

Lidia: We’re almost there!

 

 

Lidia: Just beyond that hill. Keep up!

Somonul: I am.

*The two finally arrive at the smoldering site. Lidia pauses to observe the surroundings.*

 

 

Somonul: I was right, looks like it was a gateway.

Lidia: Yeah…

Somonul: I’m not familiar with the style however.

Lidia: Right, definitely not a Ciholith’s dream sequence.

 

 

Lidia: This blue residue… I don’t think it was anything from the abyss.

Somonul: Oh, have you seen this style before?

Lidia: …it’s possible.

Somonul: …

Lidia: This was definitely a channeled in gateway though, no doubt.

Somonul: Rather complex way.

Lidia: Exactly, crude, unlike us, where we can just rip a hole or create a spatial pocket. Most ‘higher’ life-forms rely on constructing a pathway. That’s what this was, or the remnants of such.

Somonul: Yeah, and you’ve ruled out anything from the abyss?

Lidia: Correct, the Ciholiths are the only known species in the abyss capable of creating any such gateway. No scared runic markers were left behind, a general trait of their dreams.

Somonul: Don’t see why anyone would have any interest at all in this world from the abyss.

Lidia: It would seem to be a foolish endeavor for the Legion.

 

 

Lidia: I believe it was a Gate-In. Something came through, and left this small crater. The blue residue is centered around the crater.

Somonul: So, an object, or a life form.

Lidia: That's unknown. There are tracks, but it could have been from someone who was waiting for the gateway, and grabbed what was sent through. Or… they simply arrived and walked off.

Somonul: The tracks lead off in the distance. Bipedal, most likely humanoid, wide strides, they were in a hurry nonetheless.

Lidia: Yeah, minus us, I don’t sense any intelligent life forms in the area.

 

 

*Lidia pauses to think for a bit.*

Lidia: *This blue aura, I know I’ve seen it before. I’d recognize such crude dimensional methods anywhere. Only a few in the Order could have even done this though. They should all have been killed off however… if I only knew what came through…*

*Lidia begins to look completely lost in thought.*

 

 

Lidia: *I’d have been able to sense anyone from the Order, had they stepped into this world. It had to have been an object of some kind. But what?!*

*Lidia freezes dead in her tracks.*

Lidia: *Or……hmmm….*

Lidia: Grrr, let’s go, Somonul. See where these tracks might lead. “Lidia seems to smile slightly, as if she was enlightened.”

*After about an hour of trekking through the plains, following a faint set of tracks that lead off into the distance. Eventually Somonul and Lidia arrive at the end of the chase.*

 

 

Somonul: The tracks end here.

Lidia: Yeah. Nothing, not a darn thing. They just vanish.

Somonul: Nothing…

Lidia: Slight fluctuations in the temporal stream here though. Just slight.

Somonul: They stepped out of phase?

Lidia: Hiding, most likely.

*It cannot be…*

 

 

Lidia: We’d never be able to find the right one. At least, not without creating a major scene.

Somonul: Any ideas?

*Lidia pauses in thought once again.*

Lidia: I know you hate to give up on stuff like this, Somonul; I do too. But right now, it’s a waste of time.

Somonul: Alright, Lidia…

*Somonul pauses, looks around.*

Somonul: Starting to feel like the Order’s behind this, if not for that strange blue residue.

 

 

Lidia: It has crossed my mind as well.

Somonul: A gateway, and the ability to create a phase interference…

Lidia: It don’t make sense; waste of time, like I said. We could pull out theories all day long.

Somonul: I agree.

Lidia: We’ll head back home now.

*The two begin to trek back toward the main hiking trail through the rolling hills and flatlands. Eventually they find familiar scenery, the main trail, and onward back to the parking lot. Lidia remains rather quiet the entire way back: driven, and lost in thought.*

 

 

Somonul: Phew. Well, that was a rather fun outing--with an odd twist.

Lidia: Somonul, I don't think we've seen the last of what we found back there. It's too risky to delve deeper, but I have a hunch we’ll encounter whatever it was again.

Somonul: Trouble seems to follow us wherever we go. I wouldn’t be surprised.

 

 

*The Wind is still howling through the grass as the sun begins to set.*

Lidia: Yeah, it would be unfortunate to inflict any unwanted destruction around here for something so trivial.

Somonul: Trivial?

Lidia: Nothing, I’m just mumbling. Lost in thought I suppose.

Somonul: …

 

 

*Lidia jumps on the back of Rose - the Harley.*

Lidia: Well Somonul, Let’s head out of here.

Somonul: Lidia, it’s been fun.

Lidia: Another exciting adventure for sure!

*Lidia looks off into the distance.*

*Rose starts up with a thunderous roar. A gusty gale whirls through quickly and fiercely, then passes as the wind fades down into a complete calm.*

 

 

Lidia: *Lidia mumbles under her breath* "It’s been a while, old friend…"

*Lidia's eyes begin to glow.*

 

 

*The two ride off in a cloud of dust…*

 

*Later that day, during the ride back home…*

*Rumbling sound and roaring wind*

Somonul: You know Lidia…?!

Lidia: Yes?!

Somonul: We left our food behind…!

Lidia: …!

Somonul: The local wild primitives will eat well tonight!

Lidia: Indeed they will…!

*Full throttle down the highway*

 

-To Be Continued-

 

Author's note: I sure had a fun time working on this photo story. So much, in fact I’ve decided on creating this into a running series of photo stories, and combining Lidia’s prior adventures into a chapter sequence.

This hopefully will bring out a bit of information about Lidia, main character of my novel series I’ve been writing. My dollfie Lidia seems to have taken on the ‘later’ older Lidia then what I was originally aiming for, something in between. I get questions about Lidia every so often, and she seems to be my ‘shrouded in mystery’ Dollfie. It’s tough to reveal too much without going into spoilers from my written canon of her.

I’ll probably change some stuff around as I think of things. Mostly a title… I’m so indecisive with a series title for this I’ll just name it “Lidia” for now >_>;

Thanks for reading!

Quite an interesting story!

 

Good to see a bit of back history for Lidia, I'm just wondering if that "disturbance" might herald the entrance of an old nemesis, protagonist or possible annoying acquaintance/family member?

 

We'll definitely keep our eyes open for continued threads!